"I had a direct debit or standing order set up, because once I left university and I was getting regular income, I was always conscious of the fact that I wanted to pay myself first just so then, temptation will hopefully never get the better of me," he shared.

"That was helped by the fact that once the money is in the Lifetime ISA, unless you've got a serious health problem or anything like that, it's difficult to get it out without quite a hefty bill.

"So a Lifetime ISA was essentially an insurance policy if you like, against temptation.

"But it was a monthly direct debit I set up so I could take advantage of the full allowance, which I think was £4,000 at the time."

After a year to 18 months in the capital, Tom made the decision to move back up north, this time to Sheffield.

He found a job in the city which paid slightly more than his salary in London, and living costs were substantially cheaper.

"I was able to save more and more money from that," he recalls, adding it then took him around two and a half years to save up the deposit he needed.

About 18 months to two years ago, Tom got on the housing ladder, purchasing a two bedroom property in Sheffield for around £120,000.

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